Building wealth in the UAE often involves more than savings accounts. Many residents invest in real estate, operating businesses, market securities, and family-held assets that grow over time. While these investments can generate long-term value, they are also exposed to legal risk if succession planning is not handled properly.
This is where Wills in UAE law play an important role. A properly structured Will ensures that assets are transferred according to the individual’s wishes, rather than default inheritance rules. For investors and business owners, a Will is not only a personal document but a strategic tool for wealth protection and continuity.
Why UAE Expats Need to Think About Wealth Protection
The UAE generally follows Sharia law for inheritance. If you don’t have a Will registered here, your estate gets divided according to Islamic principles, no matter your religion or where you’re from.
For non-Muslim expats, this creates problems:
- Your spouse might not inherit what you expected
- Your children’s shares might be split in ways you never planned for
- Business partners could end up fighting over your share of the company
- Bank accounts might stay frozen for months while courts figure things out
The Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024, which took effect in April 2025, outlines the current rules governing inheritance. The law lets you make decisions about up to one-third of your estate through a Will. But for non-Muslims, having a properly registered Will means you can skip Sharia distribution completely and follow your home country’s laws or your own instructions.
How Wills Protect Your Different Investments
Different assets come with different risks, which is why a well-drafted Will addresses each category clearly.
1. Real Estate
Property is usually the biggest thing expats own in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Without a Will, transferring property to your heirs involves courts, inheritance certificates, and multiple government offices. This is a process that can take weeks or months.
The Dubai Land Department’s inheritance transfer service moves much faster when you have a registered Will. The process can be done in one to three days with proper documentation.
2. Business Interests
If you own a business or hold shares in a company, succession planning matters. Family businesses especially struggle when ownership needs to move from one generation to the next.
Invest in Dubai’s 2025 Family Businesses Guidebook explains that recent law changes have made succession easier through Wills and other tools. Wills can work alongside other tools, such as endowments, to help keep ownership within the family and protect wealth across generations.
3. Bank Accounts and Investments
Joint accounts don’t always transfer automatically to the surviving person under UAE law. Individual accounts get frozen until everything’s settled. Investment portfolios, brokerage accounts, and retirement savings all need clear instructions.
A proper will specifies exactly who receives these financial assets, preventing banks from holding your money indefinitely while waiting for court orders.
ADJD Wills vs DIFC Wills: Which Protects Your Wealth Better?
The UAE has two main Will systems for non-Muslims. Which one protects your wealth better depends on your situation.
ADJD Wills (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department)
ADJD Wills work across the entire UAE and cover everything, from real estate, bank accounts, personal stuff, business interests, and guardianship of your kids if they’re still minors. Courts, banks, and government departments throughout all the emirates recognize them.
For expats with assets in different emirates or anyone who wants complete coverage, ADJD Wills offer the widest protection. They follow your home country’s laws if you specify that, or whatever instructions you put in the Will.
DIFC Wills (Dubai International Financial Centre)
DIFC Wills (Dubai International Financial Centre) are built for assets inside the DIFC free zone or for people who want their estate handled under DIFC law. These follow common law rules and work well if you have big DIFC-based investments or prefer an English law setup.
Your choice depends on where your assets are, your nationality, and which legal system fits your estate planning better.
Common Wealth Protection Mistakes Expats Make
Several mistakes repeatedly cost families significant money and stress:
- Assuming joint ownership solves everything: Joint accounts or jointly owned property don’t always transfer as expected under UAE law. You still need a Will.
- Forgetting to update beneficiaries: Life changes; marriages, divorces, new children, relocated assets. Wills need regular updates to stay relevant.
- Mixing up registration systems: Having a Will registered in your home country doesn’t protect UAE assets. You need a UAE-registered Will for local investments.
- Leaving out guardianship provisions: If you have minor children, your Will should specify who becomes their guardian. Without this, courts decide, and the outcome might not match your wishes.
- Ignoring business succession: Business owners often focus on operational planning but neglect what happens to ownership shares when they’re gone.
Get Your Wealth Protection Sorted
You’ve spent years building what you have. The investments you made, the property you bought, the business you grew; none of it happened by accident. Making sure all of this goes to the right people, in the right way, without legal nightmares for your family, just makes sense.
A properly registered Will in the UAE does exactly that. It protects what you’ve worked for, keeps your family out of court battles, and makes sure your wishes actually get followed. Whether you need Wills for comprehensive coverage or specific asset protection, getting this done now prevents problems later.
